The new dentist suggested that I purchase a Waterpik and so I did.

After the obligatory 24-hour battery charging I snapped the two pieces together. It looked to be the size one of the army's two-way radios; it was a handful.

I filled it with lukewarm water, inserted the blue (gentle stream) nozzle and leaned over the sink...as per the photos on the instruction sheet. Because I could not actually see the on/off button I faced the devise toward me and pushed 'on.' A shocking, but not uncomfortable, stream of lukewarm water hit me square in the face and dripped down, some into the sink (remember I was leaning over it) and some down my arm and chin and unto my blouse, because by this time I had been jolted to a more upright position and had been blindly poking around for the off switch. It never once occurred to me to put the Waterpik in my mouth.

By the time I had stopped the machine, the sink was the driest part of the bathroom and food particles still remained between my teeth.

I have used my Waterpik three times since. I like to think of myself as somewhat coordinated (after all I did major in Physical Education) but conquering this machine will take some doing.

And that's what I think about it.